Development of Ultrashort Optical Pulse Sources Near 1.3 and 1.5 Microns With anEmphasis on Stability, High Repetition Rate, and Parallelism

摘要

We use experiment and numerical simulation to study performance of a harmonicallymodelocked laser that includes an electronic modulator and an intracavity Fabry-Perot etalon. We experimentally generate trains of pulses of 40 ps duration at 1.3 Ghz. We also study introduction of nonlinear optical shaping in the form of a NOLM (Nonlinear Loop Mirrors) loop. Numerical simulation indicates that NOLM loop, or similar nonlinear optical pulse shaping, can reduce the pulse duration to subpicosecond values. Experiment shows that the added length of a NOLM loop, however, has a destabilizing influence in that it nonlinear shaping that is not susceptible to this destabilization are examined. Dynamics of this type of laser, including NOLM loops, are simulated in a manner that predicts the rate of approach to stability.